I finally quit using the 'universal' refrigerator start relay replacements

For years I was happy with those 3-in-1 start relays that claim to work on any compressor. Saved me time and trips to the supply house. But over the last 18 months I've had 4 callbacks on units where I used them. Compressors running hot, short cycling, or just not kicking over after a few months. I started tracking it. Every one of those callbacks was on a fridge made before 2015. The older compressors seem to need the exact OEM part to match the resistance values. Now I only use the universal ones on newer units and I've had zero problems since. Has anyone else noticed a shift in how well those work?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliag101mo ago

Same thing happens with car parts nowadays. My buddy replaced his alternator with one of those "fits all" models and it burned out in 6 months on his 2002 truck. The older stuff just has different electrical tolerances that these cheap universal parts don't account for. It's like how you can't use a new phone charger on an old flip phone without it acting weird. Sometimes the original engineering was just better matched to old systems.

murphy.blair1mo ago

Still running the original parts on my own '94 Ford.

fisher.adam1mo ago

People overlook how much of this is just planned obsolescence across the board now. My dad still has a toaster from the 80s that works perfectly, but I've gone through three coffee makers in five years. It's like everything from appliances to car parts is made to fail right after the warranty ends. The old stuff was built to last because companies knew you'd keep it for decades, now they want you buying new every couple years.